Why doe so many aspies wind up in mental wards?

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Late 60s; Felt I could no longer deal with school so I stopped going. Outcome: was sent to adult jail (in an open cell block) for 2 weeks. I was 15

Early 70s: Started drinking to 'fit in'. That got me sent to the psych ward at the hospital for some time. Don't remember a lot of it since we were all given Thorazine 3 times a day to 'keep us calm'. Never got to speak to a Dr. or therapist of any kind.

Short time later agreed to speak with a psychologist. Never any discussions; she said I should be put on medication (never a reason why or for what) and I said no. Shortly thereafter she started court proceedings for commitment to state mental hospital. (I was 16) Luckily my father (always watching out for the 'family name') had some money and the judge had a daughter in an expensive university.

Middle 70s: because of my 'odd, unsocial and/or unacceptable behavior' was court ordered to see a psychiatrist. IQ test showed 'gifted' range. Dr. and I sat and stared at each other for 6 weeks. He got his money, I got to leave.

Ah, small towns...gotta love em...always on the cutting edge.

I went twice. Once in my late teens when I overreacted to some girlfriend issues. I went a second time in my late 20's: I remember life being so painful and difficult that i volunteered for a stay. I was extremely angry with the world, and with myself, and they kept me for a few months. I saw guys with their wrists cut up come and go. They told me i scared some powerful people with things i said. I thought to myself, "congratulations, you made people fear you." I broke down after a month, feeling like Gollum after he was exiled from his people. Spent a lot of time in bed. Was given Depakote and the SSRIs I was on already, taken off of antipsychotics. Given weekday therapy sessions with a psychologist. This might sound sarcastic, but I did meet some nice people in there. I had to win a court case to get out.

So keep your true self confined to your journals and sketchpads. I wonder if the social interactions NTs enjoy are their way of truly being themselves. How I envy that.

Theoretically could have happened about three years ago. Going through a major breakdown, alone I'd have just suffered but others chose to get themselves involved and then totally freaked out. They eventually started a witch hunt against me, hoping to evict me from the property, using excuses like I was "ill" and "sick". My parents soon rescued me but had they not a mental hospital would have been very possible, as I'd have literally no where else to go.

Two points: it only would have happened because other people got involved, people who considered my psychological problems a good excuse to hate me. Secondly, had I and them known I was autistic I suspect they'd have viewed my problems in a very different light. The sheer difference that the mentally ill are often demonized by popular culture and autistic are not really is considerable.

When I read the thread title I thought I had been transported back to the 60s.

When I read your thread question I was convinced I had.

Do you work with the Diplomatic Corps?

I was called into the emergency ward, because I had one particular friend who didn't understand AS. When the paramedics were putting me into the ambulance, they asked why they were taking me to the hospital. The character told them that I'm obsessed with The Kinks. I was really pissed off. I was put into emergency, just for being the way that I am. I'm sure that everybody was having a good laugh.

I was sent home, the next day.

At the risk of being a text book Aspie and NOT recognizing when someone is making a joke;

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Ignoring your friend's preferences for music, what kind of country do you live in where you WOULD be 'admitted' to hospital for the reason that you give?

This actually reminds me of an old (an very politically incorrect song) about 'staffing changes' in a psychiatric hospital.

Do you think I would be carted away in your country for collecting stamps?

I was in an outpatient program back in early 2005. I was having a meltdown (found out about AS a few months later) and tried to kill my mom. The b***h had it coming to her.

Co-morbid conditions
inadequete facilities to help people on the spectrum
trauma
family problems
anxiety triggered by stressfull lifestyle
depression
lack of indepenence

just to name a few.

I'm sorry but, I laughed really hard at that.


EDIT: But it does highlight an interesting issue with people. Apparently everything that's a deviation from the norm is dangerous.

Pretty much what I was going to say except was my MOTHER and STEP-FATHER with my DAD'S knowledge (he tried to stop her though). I refused all activities (who wants to play golf with a load of suicidal schizophrenics no offence to them). I DIDN'T get put on medication (shock) and I wasn't on par with the nurses/doctors but they were amazed when I showed one of them the language I made up complete with script and history! (I was really bored).

Other than that, I didn't eat becuase I am a lactose intolerant vegetarian (sort of a vegan but not so strict) and the hospital don't cater for vegans. They gave me nothing for a week except stuff with meat (no dairy) or vegetarian (dairy). When they finally got the idea, I got a jacket potato with baked beans. Fine. I ate it. The next day lunch: Jacket potato and beans, dinner: Jacket potato and beans. Day after, lunch: jacket potato and beans, dinner: jacket potato and beans...

Needless to say I was suffering unpleasant side-effects of beans at this point and after two more days of this I gave up and starved myself instead! Like a lot of you, none of the nurses/doctors knew anything about AS/autism and tried to force me to come out and socialize. Glad I am out of there but it has left me quite traumatized.

I've never been in a psych ward (other than to visit my mother) but frequently worried that I'd end up in one. My experience of those places was so horrid that I have gone to a good deal of trouble to ensure I hide my differences and don't end up in one.

On the other hand I have lost count of how many times I've been locked up in jail. (Prison is when you're sentenced, jail is when you're in lock up at the police station.) I've never been in prison, because I was never sentenced (or even charged most of the time) but I've got quite used to jail. I haven't been arrested in over two years though, so I may be on a winning streak.

Arrested so often but never sentenced or even charged? This sounds like harassment to me. Or a very weird strings of misunderstandings.

I was placed in the psych ward a couple years ago when I was having a huge meltdown and in went off on an overexaggerating tangent of wanting to commit suicide. My psych did not want to take any risks and she placed called the police on me. I was in on a 72 hour hold.

I just have a belief that if we want to die then we should be able to. I perfectly sane. I've just learned to keep that belief more to myself.

...because people think we are mental...unfortunately....

I don't know what the statistics are in relationship to how many people are the spectrum are committed but I can definitely see it leading to desperation in terms of suicidal tendencies. Because sometimes the whole world feels sociopathic to me. And at the same time it tells me that *I* am crazy.

Vimse, I hear you on this one.......can REALLY relate.


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